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The Croatian Apoxyomenos as a luxurious rodent's nest – archaeobotanical and zoological analyses of organic material found inside the classical bronze statue

An archaeobotanical analysis has been used to reconstruct a nest and a diet of a small rodent from the Classical period (1st century B.C. – 2nd century A.D.), most probably from Greece, all to be found in the hollow interior of a very valuable bronze statue of a young athlete, which was found in the waters of Northern Adriatic and named the Croatian Apoxyomenos. Apoxyomenos was probably the cargo of some Roman ship on one of highly frequented sea routes in ancient times, along which, among other things, a highly developed trade in artworks went on. All plant remains were non-carbonised and mineralised – encrusted with metallic salts, especially of the copper, and preserved in excellent condition. The nest itself (wisps of “ straw” found in the hollow inside of the left forearm of the statue) was mainly composed of stems and leaves of grasses (Poaceae), but also of leaves of laurel (Laurus nobilis) and of other plant remains. Along with “ straw” , further 818 individual plant remains were found and analysed and 39 different plant taxa were identified. Plant remains that presumably were part of rodent's diet belong to various wild and cultivated plants which indicate various anthropogenic habitats situated probably somewhere on the edge of the human settlement. An zoological analysis of bite marks found on fruitstones of cherry and olive and the potential rodent fauna in the area the statue was assumed to be in prior to becoming submerged, it was established that the rodent was most likely one of the taxa of the Mus domesticus group.

Classical bronze statue – The Croatian Apoxyomenos – Mineralised plant remains - Cultivated and wild plants - Rodent's nest and diet – Mus domesticus group

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